A Future Wilderness Judgment

A Future Wilderness Judgment

How does it feel to have God confront you with your sin?

EZEKIEL the prophet had come as a captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. with ten thousand other Jews in the second deportation of the Babylonian captivity.

In those days when the leaders of Israel wanted to hear from God, they would request an audience with a prophet. Thus, on August 14, 591 B.C., some of the elders of the exiled Jews came to Ezekiel to see whether he had any message from the Lord. They then sat down in front of him to await his reply (Ezekiel 20:1).

But the message they received was not what they wanted to hear. This message came to Ezekiel from the Lord:

“Son of man, give the leaders of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord. How dare you come to ask for my help? As surely as I live, I will tell you nothing. This is the word of the Sovereign Lord!” (v. 3).

Then the Lord gave Ezekiel further words to say to these leaders: “Make them realize how loathsome the actions of their ancestors really were. . . . I promised that I would bring [Israel] and her descendants out of Egypt to a land . . . flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of your idols. Do not defile yourselves with the Egyptian gods’ (vv. 4-7).

“But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of their idols or forsake the gods of Egypt. . . . So I brought my people out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. There I gave them my laws. . . .

“But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my laws. . . . I took a solemn oath against them while they were in the wilderness. I vowed I would scatter them among all the nations because they did not obey my laws” (vv. 8-24).

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord. . . . When you give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves to this day. Should I listen to you or help you, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will not give you a message even though you come to me requesting one” (vv. 30-31).

“I will rule you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power. With might and fury I will bring you out from the lands where you are scattered. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face . . . just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord. . . . I will purge you of all those who rebel and sin against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel” (vv. 33-38).

“As for you, O people of Israel . . . if you insist, go right ahead and worship your idols, but then don’t turn around and bring gifts to me. Such desecration of my holy name must stop! For on my holy mountain . . . the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them . . . I will display my holiness in you as all the nations watch. Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord” (vv. 39-42).

Reflection

In Ezekiel’s day God prophesied a future wilderness judgment for Israel. Do you think that wilderness judgment has happened yet? If not, when do you think it will? What lessons can you learn from how God dealt with the sins of Israel?

In the last days, the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. . . . Many nations will come, and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Israel.”

Isaiah 2:2-3